Candle Mould - Hearts

01 · YIELD

A kilo of wax makes about thirty-five candles

At 28 g a heart, a one-kilo block gives you roughly thirty-five pieces. That is the sum worth doing before you melt anything: leftover wax can be poured again, but it is easier to size the batch once.

02 · POURING

Centring the wick in a piece this small

Cut the wick longer than the mould, centre it and keep it taut with a stick laid across the top; close the mould with rubber bands. The wax must be fully melted, between 65 and 70 °C — its melting point is 61-65 — and poured slowly. As it cools the wax shrinks by about 10 %: it sinks around the wick, and you top it up with a second pour once the surface has set. When you release it, take the stick out and trim the wick to a centimetre.

03 · FIRST BURN

An hour and a half the first time

At 4 cm across, this heart only needs an hour and a half of first burn. The wax needs that long to melt right out to the edge: put it out sooner and the pool stays narrow, after which the flame sinks down the middle and leaves a wall of unburnt wax. That is tunnelling, and there is no fixing it later.

04 · BEFORE YOU BUY